Roundup: Novak Djokovic's dominant display crushes Dan Evans at Wimbledon

At 38, the Serbian star showcased his relentless pursuit of a record-extending 25th Grand Slam title with a display of precision and power that left the home crowd in awe.

Djokovic, seeded sixth, was untouchable from the outset, dominating his service games while applying constant pressure on Evans' serve.

The Brit, ranked 154th and a former world No. 21, fought valiantly, saving nine break points in the first set before Djokovic broke through on the 10th.

From there, the match tilted decisively in the Serb's favor, as he exploited Evans' ineffective backhand slice with ferocious returns and pinpoint groundstrokes.

"I knew exactly what I needed to do tactically, and I executed perfectly," Djokovic said post-match. "Evans can cause trouble if you're not on top of your game, but I felt sharp from the start. Days like this, when everything flows, are special."

The match marked Djokovic's 19th third-round appearance at Wimbledon, a men's Open-era record, and underscored his enduring love for the tournament. "Wimbledon remains the most special tournament in my heart," he said. "It's the one I dreamed of winning as a kid, and I'm aware of the history I can make here."

Evans, who upset Djokovic on clay in 2021, struggled to find answers against the Serb's relentless aggression. Despite brief resistance, including forcing two break points in the third set, Evans was overpowered as Djokovic raced to a 5-0 lead in the decider before closing out the match in style.

Recent posts on X from Wimbledon's official account hailed Djokovic's "clinical" performance, while Evans acknowledged the challenge, noting on X: "Tough day, but Novak was just too good. Proud to compete on Centre Court."

Djokovic's former assistant coach, Goran Ivanisevic, also took to X, praising his former charge's focus: "Novak's moving like he's 25, not 38. Grass suits him perfectly."

With six consecutive Wimbledon finals since 2017, winning four and losing the last two to Carlos Alcaraz, Djokovic remains a formidable force. Thursday's performance sent a clear message: the Serb is primed to chase history once again on the grass courts he reveres.

Other Men's Second-Round Results:

Grigor Dimitrov (BUL x19) bt Corentin Moutet (FRA) 7-5, 4-6, 7-5, 7-5

Jaume Munar (ESP) bt Fabian Marozsan (HUN) 6-2, 6-3, 7-6 (11/9)

Flavio Cobolli (ITA x22) bt Jack Pinnington Jones (GBR) 6-1, 7-6 (8/6), 6-2

Jakub Mensik (CZE x15) bt Marcos Giron (USA) 6-4, 3-6, 6-4, 7-6 (7/4)

Alex De Minaur (AUS x11) bt Arthur Cazaux (FRA) 4-6, 6-2, 6-4, 6-0

Miomir Kecmanovic (SRB) bt Jesper de Jong (NED) 1-6, 6-3, 6-2, 6-4

Novak Djokovic (SRB x6) bt Daniel Evans (GBR) 6-3, 6-2, 6-0

Alejandro Davidovich Fokina (ESP x26) bt Botic van de Zandschulp (NED) 6-1, 4-6, 6-3, 7-6 (7/5)

Luciano Darderi (ITA) bt Arthur Fery (GBR) 6-4, 6-3, 6-3

Arthur Rinderknech (FRA) bt Christian Garin (CHI) 3-6, 6-3, 7-6 (7/3), 4-6, 6-3

Jan-Lennard Struff (GER) bt Felix Auger-Aliassime (CAN x25) 3-6, 7-6 (11/9), 6-3, 6-4